Is Jackson more of a natural forward, or will the Jazz thrive with him at center?
Jaren Jackson Jr. joined the Utah Jazz last season under the pretense of sharing a backcourt with 7'2" shot-blocking specialist Walker Kessler. Kessler didn't last long in Utah since Jackson arrived, of course, wrangling in a very public contract negotiation dispute before eventually leaving for Los Angeles in return for up to four first-round picks.
It was a great return for Utah in exchange for a player who had a history of injury problems and no accolades to speak of in his young career, but it did leave the Jazz with a vacuum at the starting center position.
In the eyes of many, however, it appeared the Jazz had fortuitously secured Kessler's replacement at the previous year's trade deadline -- the former Grizzly who straddles the line between center and forward.
Jackson is a player who has often been noted as a stretch forward thanks to his 6'10" frame. And though he's perhaps the best shot-blocker of his height in the league, he's likewise capable of stretching the floor with his excellent three-point shot on the offensive end.
If you ask Basketball Reference, however, it appears Jackson has been the center in all but two seasons of his eight-year career. It was as a center that he received his two All-Star nods. It was as a center that he was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2022-23 (a year after moving from the power forward position). And it was as a center that he averaged over 22 points in two of his final three seasons in Memphis.
Jaren Jackson Jr has a proven track record of success as a center -- that's the player that the Jazz traded for, and he's the player they feel comfortable with running the show down low -- he should have no trouble sliding into Kessler's role and providing satisfactory rim protection.
But his true superpower is his positional versatility -- whether Will Hardy decides he wants Jackson to fill in at the four, or anchor the team at the five, Jackson is flexible, and boasts the skill set to excel at either position throughout any given game. It gives Utah more lineup possibilities to experiment with, which could keep Jackson on the floor for longer stretches at a time.
Here's the drawback: Jackson has struggled with foul trouble for much of his career, which has kept him off the floor due to the fear of fouling out. This was one of the pillars of his case for DPOY a few seasons ago -- how great of a defender must he have been to average 3 blocks per game, while playing fewer than 30 minutes?
Jackson should be a perfectly acceptable Kessler replacement on the defensive end, with his obvious offensive upgrades apparent, but as the primary point of defense for a team hoping to finally break through as a winner in the cutthroat Western Conference? That has yet to be determined.
